Innsbruck 2025: Garnbret returns, Anraku makes history, and Japan’s depth problem

The 2025 IFSC Boulder World Cup season concluded in Innsbruck with a fitting climax: the return of the queen and the coronation of a new king. Janja Garnbret’s first competition of the year delivered victory despite visible ring rust, while Sorato Anraku cemented his place in history as the first male climber to achieve a 3000+ ELO rating. But perhaps the most compelling story lies in the numbers—the dramatic rises, the depth of talent, and one nation’s peculiar problem of having too many world-class climbers.

Anraku’s historic campaign: Numbers that defy belief

When the dust settled in Innsbruck, Sorato Anraku had done what no male climber had achieved before: a season ELO rating above 3000. His final tally of 3049 doesn’t just edge past previous records—it obliterates them. For context, Tomoa Narasaki’s legendary 2019 season peaked at 2964. Adam Ondra’s prime years never broke 2900.

Anraku’s medal haul tells only part of the story:

3 gold medals (Salt Lake City, Keqiao, Curitiba)
2 silver medals (Prague, Innsbruck)
1 bronze medal (Bern)

Six competitions. Six podiums. Zero failures.

But the ELO rating reveals something deeper: consistent excellence against the strongest field in history. While official World Cup standings reward participation and accumulation, our ELO system measures pure performance level. Anraku didn’t just win—he dominated in an era when the depth of talent has never been greater.

At just 18 years old, Anraku has redefined what’s possible in men’s competition climbing. The question now isn’t whether his record will stand, but whether he himself can push even higher.

Garnbret’s return: The queen never left

Janja Garnbret’s selective 2025 schedule—just this single World Cup appearance—might have opened the door for others to claim her throne. Instead, her Innsbruck victory served as a reminder: the gap between Garnbret and the field, while narrower than in past years, still exists when she’s competing.

Her performance wasn’t vintage Garnbret. There were moments of hesitation, sequences that required multiple attempts where peak Janja would have flashed. But here’s what separates the all-time greats: even at less than peak form, Garnbret found a way to win.

The strategic minimalism of her season makes sense in the context of the Olympic cycle. Why grind through a full World Cup season when you’ve already proven everything there is to prove? Garnbret’s 2817 ELO from a single competition keeps her atop our rankings—a testament to both our system’s memory of past excellence and her continued superiority when she chooses to compete.

Worth noting that the women’s field was missing another key competitor: Natalia Grossman continues her rehabilitation from knee surgery, removing another potential challenger from the season-long battle.

The breakout class of 2025

While Melody Sekikawa and Yuji Fujiwaki grabbed headlines with their rises into the top 10, the most dramatic improvements came deeper in the field, signaling the next generation of elite climbers.

The next wave: Macià Martín leads the charge

The year’s most dramatic rise belongs to 17-year-old Geila Macià Martín. The Spanish teenager rocketed up 53 ranking positions to 15th in the world, announcing herself as a future star with a bronze medal at the IFSC European Cup Brussels. Such a meteoric rise at such a young age suggests we’re witnessing the emergence of Spain’s next elite competitor.

Melody Sekikawa: From depth to elite

Moving up 20 ranking positions to 7th in the world, the Japanese climber has announced herself as a legitimate force in women’s bouldering. Her 2497 ELO represents not just improvement, but arrival at the sport’s elite level.

What makes Sekikawa’s rise particularly impressive is the context—she’s achieving this while competing for spots on Japan’s loaded team. Every competition appearance requires earning selection over world-class teammates. That pressure has forged a competitor capable of maximizing every opportunity.

Yuji Fujiwaki: Efficiency personified

If Sekikawa’s rise was impressive, Yuji Fujiwaki’s borders on the absurd. Moving up 26 ranking positions to 7th in the world while competing in just three events defies conventional wisdom about the need for consistent competition. His 2669 ELO from limited appearances suggests we’re seeing only a fraction of his true potential.

Fujiwaki’s case illuminates Japanese climbing’s peculiar challenge: having too much talent. When your seventh-ranked climber can only compete in half the season due to team limits, you’ve transcended normal problems of athlete development.

Japan’s depth challenge

The numbers tell a story of unprecedented national dominance:

Japanese climbers in the world top 10:

Women: 3 of 10 (Sekikawa 7th, Nakamura 8th, Nonaka 10th)
Men: 5 of 10 (Anraku 1st, Narasaki M. 4th, Amagasa 6th, Fujiwaki 7th, Narasaki T. 10th)

But these rankings only hint at the full picture. Japan’s team selection has become perhaps the most competitive process in world sport. World-class climbers miss competitions not due to injury or form, but simply because there aren’t enough spots. The IFSC quota system means potential podium finishers watch from home while other countries struggle to field competitive teams.

Consider this: Fujiwaki’s limited schedule still produced a top-10 world ranking. How many other Japanese climbers could achieve similar results given the opportunity? The depth is staggering, almost wasteful in its abundance.

The return of champions

Toby Roberts: From Olympic gold to World Cup gold

The Olympic champion’s season had been puzzlingly quiet until Innsbruck. Toby Roberts’ first podium of 2025—and it was gold—served as a reminder that class is permanent. His return to the top 10 (9th, up from outside the rankings) suggests the post-Olympic hangover has finally lifted.

Roberts’ late-season surge poses intriguing questions for the World Championships. Has he been strategically building toward the season’s final event? His Innsbruck performance suggests the Olympic champion has rediscovered his championship form at the perfect moment.

Mejdi Schalck: Redemption complete

From missing Olympic qualification to 3rd in the world—Mejdi Schalck’s 2025 redemption arc is complete. His 2774 ELO and impressive medal haul (1 gold, 2 silvers) represent more than a return to form; they’re a statement about resilience in elite sport. Only Anraku claimed more medals this season.

The Frenchman’s resurgence also highlights the brutal nature of Olympic selection. A climber capable of medaling at every World Cup missed the Games entirely. His 2025 campaign stands as both vindication and motivation for the next cycle.

The established order evolves

The season’s final rankings reveal evolution within establishment:

Women’s standouts:

Naïlé Meignan (2nd): Maintained elite status despite missing Innsbruck
Oriane Bertone (3rd): Consistent excellence across the full season
Annie Sanders (4th): America’s new standard-bearer continues her rise
Erin McNeice (5th): Historic season with victories across multiple disciplines

Men’s hierarchy:

Dohyun Lee (2nd): 2911 ELO would be historic in any other year
Meichi Narasaki (4th): The younger Narasaki establishing his own legacy
Yufei Pan (5th): Breakthrough victory in Bern changed his career trajectory

Looking ahead: World Championships implications

With the World Cup season complete, attention turns to the World Championships where season-long narratives will reach their conclusion. Key storylines to watch:

Can Anraku push even higher? A 3100+ ELO seemed impossible until this year.
Will Garnbret compete? Her single appearance suggests selective participation will continue.
Japan’s selection challenge: Which world-class climbers will miss out due to IFSC quota limits?
The Olympic effect: Will Paris medalists like Roberts peak for the season’s biggest event?
Breakout continuation: Can Sekikawa and Fujiwaki maintain their momentum against full-strength fields?

The bigger picture: A sport transformed

The 2025 season will be remembered as a watershed moment in competition climbing. Anraku’s 3000+ ELO shattered perceived limits. The depth of talent—exemplified by Japan’s embarrassment of riches—raised the bar for everyone. Breakout performers like Sekikawa and Fujiwaki proved that even in a mature sport, dramatic rises remain possible.

Perhaps most tellingly, the post-Olympic season didn’t see a drop in quality despite selective participation from some stars. Instead, it revealed the next generation ready to carry the sport forward. The absence of some created opportunities for others, and those opportunities were seized with both hands.

As we look toward the World Championships, one thing is clear: competition climbing has never been stronger. The records set in 2025 may seem unbreakable now, just as previous marks once did. But if this season taught us anything, it’s that in climbing, the impossible is just tomorrow’s warm-up.

Final 2025 ELO ratings and complete season statistics are now available on our rankings page. The season concludes with the IFSC World Championships in Seoul, South Korea, where the world’s best will compete for the most prestigious titles in competition climbing.